Oral care implements, particularly toothbrushes, are typically used by applying toothpaste to a bristle section followed by brushing regions of the oral cavity, e.g., the teeth, tongue, and/or gums. Tooth brushing is part of a daily oral hygiene activity. Proper dental care involves regular flossing, brushing, rinsing with mouthwash and mouthrinses, and dental checkups. Dentists generally recommend that an individual brush his or her teeth for a minimum interval per cleaning, such as two minutes. Despite such recommendations, many individuals, especially young children, do not regularly brush their teeth for the recommended minimum interval. Such habits often can be attributed to the individual regarding tooth brushing as a mundane duty with few pleasurable aspects. Dental checkups to a dentist office are typically the only feedback a person receives on their dental cleaning efforts. There is unfortunately plenty of time in between checkups for poor dental habits to cause problems. For example, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and a host of other problems can be magnified if dental cleaning habits are not rectified promptly.
Toothbrush devices with liquid collection systems are known in the art, including those having a capillary fluid system to wick the liquid from the collection area to the bristles. Such deviceds are disclosed and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,102,251; 5,352,052; 5,769,553; 5,842,487; 6,089,776; 6,095,707; 6,164,858; 6,183,155; 6,322,268; 6,497,527; 6,669,390; 7,124,894; 7,311,456, as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007/0154863, 2008/0176183. Some toothbrushes have been equipped with fluid reservoirs and systems for delivering auxiliary active agents, such as whitening agents, breath freshening agents, and the like. The devices contain various transfer mechanisms that can transport the fluids to the brush or applicator (sponge, foams, etc.), including, for example, capillary channels constructed of wicking materials, vibration devices, squeeze triggers or pumps, and combinations of these.
Mouthwash and mouthrinse formulations also are well known in the art. Various formulations include antibacterial agents, flavorants, colorants, sweeteners, breath freshening agents, and the like. Appropriate dental hygiene typically includes brushing, flossing, and rinsing. It would be desirable to combine at least brushing with toothpaste, and rinsing with mouthwash into one procedure, making it easier to promote beneficial dental care. Thus, there exists a need to provide a device that provides adequate brushing and mouthrinsing capabilities, in which the formulation of the mouthwash or rinse is tailored to the device to provide sufficient quantities of active agents to the tooth surfaces.